Despite his thick Irish accent, Colin Farrell is capable of playing various roles. Versatility is one quality that will surely help any actor out in landing major roles consistently, over what they hope will be a long and successful career. Farrell’s name usually reminds us of the action films that made it big, like “S.W.A.T.”, “Daredevil”, “Phonebooth”, and “The Recruit”.
In 2004, Farrell accepted a challenge to portray Alexander the Great in the movie “Alexander”. The result was a film replete with cringe-worthy scenes and dialogue. Critics couldn’t stand it, and the story itself had many inaccuracies. It failed to make up for the expenses needed to produce the film.
Sean Connery’s Final Film
During his lifetime, Sean Connery was hailed by a Sunday Herald poll as “The Greatest Living Scot“. He was arguably the most popular among the James Bond actors, starring in the franchise’s seven films, created between 1962 and 1983. But even the great Connery’s highly extolled reputation wasn’t fail-proof against poor film decisions.
In fact, after starring in the movie "The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (2003), Connery’s showbiz career seemed to disintegrate into thin air. In fact, 2003 was the year when Connery retired from acting. His last few performances before peacefully passing away in October 2020 were voice-over cameos.
Madonna’s Swept Away
There can be no question about Madonna’s position in the music world, and even to this date, she remains one of the highest-paid musicians of all time. She has been at the top echelon for decades, but at one point, she wanted to crossover to the big screen. The world seemed so small, able to fit neatly into the palm of her hand.
She proved she had the power to carry a film in "Evita". The 2002 hit movie came out blazing, Madonna in full tilt. She followed it up quite ambitiously, with "Swept Away". It was a complete turnaround from the soaring heights of "Evita", failing so badly at the box office, that it tanked the career of her husband and film director, Guy Ritchie, too.
Terrence Howard's Departure From Iron Man
Terrence Howard did well in films like "Hustle" and "Flow and Crash". Things looked bright for the budding actor, and then a major boost came in the form of an Iron Man role. This meant he would be introduced to a bigger audience and get to star alongside major names in the industry.
The Iron Man sequel suffered some pay cuts, however, and Howard must have felt short-changed because he decided to back out from the project. He was replaced by audience favorite, Don Cheadle, and what followed was a long, tortuous road back to his groove. Since "Iron Man", he settled for minor roles in other movies. It took until 2015 for him to finally earn his way back into the Hollywood fold, with the critically acclaimed TV drama "Empire".
Michael Keaton in Batman
Michael Keaton is simply one of the most talented actors out there today. When presented with the chance to work on a huge Batman movie (with Tim Burton at the helm) he accepted without pause. With the success of "Beetlejuice" behind them, expectations quickly rose during the making of the movie.
Keaton, as expected, performed the lead role very well. However, critics and rabid fans alike attacked the movie with vigor. Michael Keaton felt dragged along by the misfortune, feeling like he was complicit in some sort of crime against the genre. Eventually, he cleared his name and has moved on nicely with roles in films like "Birdman".